Sunday, 5 February 2012

MY wonderfully well-crafted dream of floating below the swooping wing of a manta ray was certainly curtailed today... even though I've a credit card gagging to shoulder the booking.

This trip, which would have kicked off in Bali in the first week of April, has been brewing for around two or three weeks, fueled by a couple of like-minded scuba diving friends (who have booked flight tickets), a boyfriend who's understandably tempted to turn 30 years old sipping a Bintang on the other side of the world, and my summer-baby's need to get the hell out of England until at least early June.

Just a month, perhaps two away. Some time to temple-tiptoe and practice yoga posing on my tod, followed by jaw-dropping dives with my scuba buddies - that's all I've ever wanted. Manta Point, perhaps the Gilis and Komodo National Park, a wreck or two, just one sunfish, several sharks and ten turtles.

But I've a hunch this one just ain't going to be...

Which is the first time I've let travel reality slap me down. I've never been rich (far, far from it) but I'm the queen of the travel 'f**k it', with the 'f**k it and fly' magazine column drafted. Pay it off later. Live life while you can. See the world not sense....

But this trip, this one would ruin me. Curled in a ball on the sofa as it snowed outside in suburban Peterborough today, I broke the news to my fella and to myself. It aint happening....unless, unless something.

Singapore Airlines have amazing return flights from London into Denpasar up in lights, from April onwards. £545-ish if you're interested in living this dream for me and clinking beers with my dive buddies.

They're awesome....here they are...

It was an amazing idea, and the reason I ditched my travel publishing job to be a freelancer was the freedom to flit off. If only...if only I hadn't spent so much time and money training myself as a proper Journalist (all shorthandy and legally sound) there'd be money in the bank to live the dream... but that's my terrible reality, and a million hearts must surely bleed.

Back to pitching travel feature ideas and crossing my fingers those seats are still available once a miracle has happened.